Tag Archives: liberal democrat conference 2014

Conference Speeches: Lynne Featherstone: I have been able to do über-Liberal things in Government

By The Voice | Sat 18th October 2014 - 3:25 pm

Conference may have been a week or so ago but we still have some keynote speeches to post. Lynne Featherstone spoke about the work she had done to help the most vulnerable people across the world with great humility. She said she had been able to introduce über-liberal policies but was also keen to pay tribute to Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg for getting the economy on track.

She spoke powerfully about what she’s dong to protect women and girls around the globe and talked with great humility, saying that whenever she meets people in desperate circumstances she’s very aware that that could have been her. “I didn’t choose where I was born” she said. Here is the video and the text is below:

Posted in News | Also tagged conference speeches, equality, international development, LGBT rights, lynne featherstone and women | 4 Comments

A film night, at Conference? Really?

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 21st September 2014 - 11:28 am

Party conference serves so many purposes. It’s there to make policy, to deliver training and for members from around the country to get together and chat. I have to say that I’ve never thought that the big thing missing from our annual gathering was a film night. In fact, putting me in a warm, dark room after 4 sleep-deprived nights is likely to have me snoring in seconds.

I was therefore surprised to see some weeks ago that a film night was to happen and the party was running a vote on its website so that people could choose what film was shown. We could choose between all sorts of blokey political culture from Watergate to In the Loop. Why could we not have had Aaron Sorkin’s The American President on the list? What about Made In Dagenham, a film about the fight for equal pay at the Ford car plant. When that latter film came out 4 years ago, Lynne Featherstone criticised it being given a 15 rating because it had one incident of the F word (not the federalism one) but praised the film itself:

That fight still goes on today – with a pay gap between men and women in full time work – as unacceptable now too.

But outside of the issue itself – which is extremely timely with the coalition commitment to promoting the right to request flexible working to all and promote equal pay – it is just a brilliant film.

It is in the genre of Billy Elliot and Brassed Off – and I hope that everyone sees it – as it is truly inspiring.

Posted in News | 8 Comments